The FTSE 100 closed Friday up 0.08%, closing out both the week and the quarter on a positive note. The index enjoyed a positive quarter overall, helped by solid gains for the likes of Rolls-Royce, BP, Shell, as well as housing stocks, with Taylor Wimpey leading the way in its sector, CMC Markets U.K. chief market analyst Michael Hewson says in a research note. Amongst Friday's best performers was the utilities sector, after Severn Trent said it was raising GBP1 billion to bolster its capital position, as well as laying out plans to invest heavily in the water infrastructure of the Midlands and Wales, Hewson says.


COMPANIES NEWS:

Westminster Group Pretax Loss Narrows on Lower Costs

Westminster Group said its first-half pretax loss narrowed after booking lower costs, and that it remained positive over its future growth prospects.

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Future PLC Sees FY 2023 in Line With Views

Future PLC expects its performance for fiscal 2023 to be in line with the board's expectations.

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Aston Martin Says Yew Tree Consortium Has Increased Its Stake in the Company

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings said that Yew Tree Consortium has increased its share stake by 3.27%, taking its total to 26.23%.

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Kanabo Group Pretax Loss Narrows on Sales Increase

Kanabo Group has reported a narrowed pretax loss for the first half-year as revenue rose up by 88%, boosted by sales in existing markets while looking for expansion opportunities.

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Likewise Swung to 1H Pretax Loss on Higher Costs; Sees 2023 in Line With Views

Likewise Group swung to a pretax loss in the first half due to increased cost pressures, and said it is performing in line with full-year expectations.

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R&Q Insurance 1H Pretax Loss Widened

R&Q Insurance Holdings posted a wider pretax loss for the first half of 2023 on further adverse reserve developments, as it remains focused on the legal split of its R&Q Legacy and Accredited businesses.

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Revolution Beauty CFO Re-Elected With Low Shareholder Support

Revolution Beauty Group said its Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Lake was re-elected with low shareholder support at its annual general meeting.

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HEIQ's First-Half Revenue Fell; Expects to Publish Delayed 2022 Results Shortly

HEIQ said its expects to publish its full-year accounts for 2022 shortly together with its interim results, after which trading in its shares should restart.

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Alpha Group International CEO Sells Shares at GBP19 Each

Alpha Group International said Friday that Chief Executive Officer Morgan Tillbrook has sold 789,476 shares at 19 pounds ($23.19) each.

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SDI Group Sees FY 2024 in Line With Market Views

SDI Group said it expects fiscal 2024 performance to be in line with market expectations.

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Synlab Gets $2.35 Bln Takeover Offer From Cinven Group

U.K. private-equity firm Cinven Group has launched an acquisition offer for shares in German medical-diagnostics company Synlab it doesn't already own, which values all of the target at 2.22 billion euros ($2.35 billion), the companies said Friday.

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Fiinu CEO and Three Board Members to Step Down to Cut Costs

Fiinu said its Chief Executive Officer Chris Sweeney will be stepping down as part of its headcount reduction effort to preserve cash as it executes its cost reduction plan and continues to seek funding to restart its banking-license application.

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Victoria PLC Says It Identified Accounting Issues at Subsidiary, Took Remedial Action

Victoria PLC said it had identified accounting issues at the Hanover Flooring highlighted by the company's auditor and allocated additional finance resources to ensure adequate accounting records and internal controls are maintained.

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Seeen PLC Pretax Loss Narrows on Higher Technology Business Profit

Seeen PLC has reported a narrowed pretax loss due to higher profit in its technology business, reflecting increased investments in its sales team.

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Bidstack Shares Fall After Revenue Warning; CFO Departure

Bidstack Group shares fell after the company said it expects revenue for the full year to be significantly below market expectations, and that Chief Financial Officer Thomas Bullen will step down from the role with immediate effect.

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Barkby Group Shares Fall After Revenue Slip on Business Refocus

Barkby Group shares slipped after the group said that net loss for fiscal 2023 narrowed, while revenue slipped, as the group continues to refocus the business on Roadside real-estate assets.

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Rathbones CFO Steps Down as Part of Investec W&I UK Integration

Rathbones Group said its chief financial officer, Jennifer Mathias, is stepping down from the role and will be succeeded by Iain Hooley, Investec Wealth & Investment's chief executive officer.

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Severn Trent to Raise GBP1 Bln To Fund New Sustainability-Led Plan -- Update

Severn Trent will raise around 1 billion pounds ($1.22 billion) through a share issue and subscription, with proceeds to be used in its new sustainability business plan, the company said Friday.

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3i Infrastructure's Total Income Rose on Strong Portfolio Performance

3i Infrastructure said its total income rose in the first half of fiscal 2024, boosted by its portfolio performing better than expected.

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Kingswood Trims 2023 Operating Profit View on US Weakness

Kingswood Holdings lowered its operating profit expectations for the year due to difficult conditions in the U.S. and posted a wider pretax loss for the first half of 2023.

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East Imperial Shares Slip on Widened Pretax Loss

Shares of East Imperial fell 15% after the group reported a widened pretax loss for the first half as the group faced production and logistical constraints due to a funding delay.

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Syncona to Buy Back Up to GBP40 Mln in Shares

Syncona said it has launched a share buyback program of up to 40.0 million pounds ($48.8 million).

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Symphony Environmental Shares Fall on Revenue Delays

Shares of Symphony Environmental Technologies fell 10% in early trade after the company said revenue generation has been delayed as it waits for certain trial and regulatory approvals, and despite it reporting a narrowed first-half pretax loss.

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NAC Kazatomprom CEO Resigns; Meirzhan Yussupov Named as Replacement

NAC Kazatomprom said it has appointed former chief financial officer Meirzhan Yussupov as new chief executive officer to replace Yerzhan Mukanov, who is resigning on Monday.

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Mercantile Ports & Logistics Pretax Loss Narrows on Higher Revenue

Mercantile Ports & Logistics reported a narrowed first-half pretax loss on higher revenue, and said the pipeline of new customers looking to use its facility is robust and will further expand its business.

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Frenkel Topping Posts Higher Pretax Profit, Revenue on Recent Acquisitions

Frenkel Topping Group reported a higher pretax profit after recent acquisitions drove revenue higher and said a healthy pipeline of assets under management for the second half supports its full-year expectations.

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Topps Tiles Appoints Chair Designate Paul Forman as Chairman

Topps Tiles said that Chair Designate, Paul Forman, will replace Darren Shapland as chairman from Oct. 1, following Shapland's retirement.

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UK Regulator to Probe Qualcomm's Planned Takeover of Autotalks

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said it is considering whether Qualcomm's planned takeover of Israel-based auto chip maker Autotalks might substantially lessen competition within U.K. markets for goods and services.

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Verici Dx Shares Fall After 2023 Tutivia Revenue Seen Lower

Verici Dx shares slumped after the company said it is likely that its full-year revenue from its lead kidney-transplant rejection product Tutivia will be lower than expected.

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Fusion Antibodies Pretax Loss Widens on Higher Costs, Lower Revenue

Fusion Antibodies has reported a widened first-half pretax loss due higher research and development, investment and recruiting costs as well as lower revenue, and cautioned over the timing of future contracts.

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Supply@ME's Pretax Loss Narrows on Lower Costs; Gears Up to Be Revenue Generating

Supply@ME Capital said its pretax loss narrowed in the first half of 2023, mainly because of a significant reduction in finance costs.

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Personal Group Holdings Earnings Rose After Strong Insurance, Voucher Sales

Personal Group Holdings reported an increase in pretax profit for the six months ended 30 June 2023 driven by insurance revenue and voucher resale growth.

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MobilityOne Buys 49% Stake in Malaysian Healthcare Information Systems Provider

MobilityOne has agreed to acquire a 49% interest in United Flagship Development's Hati International for 30.0 million Malaysian Ringgit ($6.4 million).

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Roebuck Food Group Reports Pretax Loss, Blames Brexit Costs

Roebuck Food Group swung to a pretax loss in the first half of the year on expenses related to Brexit and lower dairy prices.

MARKET TALK:

Future PLC Shares Soar as Update Reassures

0905 GMT - Future PLC's performance amid macro pressures is reassuring, Shore Capital says in a note after the platform for specialist media said it expects full-year adjusted operating profit to be in line with expectations despite trading conditions remaining "mixed". The group is well placed to deliver attractive growth given its positive fundamentals, analyst Roddy Davidson writes, pointing to its focus and investment on leveraging content to drive e-commerce and digital advertising across its B2C brand portfolio, the breadth and authority of its specialist content as well as its reach and ability to deliver to audiences, its strong cash generation and its positive record in terms of acquisitions. Shore rates the stock buy. Shares in London rise 18% to 840 pence. (elena.vardon@wsj.com)


Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Dow Jones Newswires; paul.larkins@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-29-23 1216ET